Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Build a thriving aquarium, balance fish needs and water quality, research species, and turn a living display into the most admired collection.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Set Collection
Gather related items that become more valuable when scored together.
Worker Placement
Commit limited workers to action spaces before opponents occupy them.
End Game Bonuses
Earn additional points for meeting conditions evaluated when the game ends.
Read the full game description
Aquaria is a strategic aquarium-building game in which each player develops a personal tank while competing for fish, plants, equipment, and research opportunities. Worker placement drives the shared action economy: staff acquire new species, improve filtration, collect food, and expand the knowledge recorded in an encyclopedia. Fish are not merely point cards. Each species has habitat and feeding requirements, and a crowded or poorly maintained tank can undermine an otherwise efficient engine. Cards in hand provide flexibility, set collection rewards coherent habitats, and end-game bonuses encourage specialization without prescribing a single route. The puzzle grows across a full session as players balance immediate acquisitions against the recurring work of keeping their ecosystem healthy. With a wide selection of species and interlocking development tracks, Aquaria rewards careful sequencing, long-term planning, and the ability to adapt when another curator claims the action or animal you expected to use.
